


Heartbreakers United

by heretherebefics



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 23:51:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5352998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heretherebefics/pseuds/heretherebefics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt 3 in the River Song Ficathon: River and Jack Harkness drunk! For onesweetrush(tumblr)</p>
<p>River Song and Jack Harkness have a night out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heartbreakers United

The first time they ended up in a bar together was an accident. Jack Harkness had been flirting with everyone in sight. Most of the bar had been flirting back, until he noticed that everyone was on the opposite side of the bar, surrounding a head piled high with curly blonde hair. A bit perturbed, he wandered over to see what the fuss was all about. It turned out to be River Song and between them, they collected every number in the place.

From there, they started going out together whenever they could. Some evenings one of them went home with someone, usually Jack, but most evenings ended together, sharing enough liquor to level a small army of average drinkers. Jack promised River that one day he would outdrink her, a promise now in its twelfth year.

River thought about all the other evenings as she shimmied into one of her favorite dresses, added lipstick and slipped on her vortex manipulator and punching in the coordinates. She arrived with a crackle in the alley beside that evening's bar, turning to the matching crackle behind her. Jack, who held his arm out. “Shall we?”

River threaded her arm through his, flashed him a smile, and let him lead the way past the long queue to the bouncer, who waved them inside instantly, leaving the queue whispering about who they might be to be allowed in so quickly.

The evening had started out with a Manhattan for her as it always did, a kiss pressed to her fingertips before touching the base, and a whiskey on the rocks for him. River switched to martinis after, a number of which she suspected her drinking partner had asked the bartender to switch to hypervodka. Jack had moved over to hypervodka too, sipping slowly at first and later, as they would both barely remember the next day, shots were taken.

She wasn’t entirely sure how they had ended up outside, but they usually did when they had been drinking, so she wasn’t concerned. 

They stared up at the stars, lying on their backs side by side. River could have figured out exactly where, and when, they were if she cared to, but the liquor soothed away any desire to do so.

River took his hand and laughed into the night. “So, how many tonight?”  
Jack fumbled in his pocket, fingers skimming over napkins and matchbooks, room cards and business cards. “Fifty-five I think.”

River snorted. “Amateur. Eighty-nine, and I left with the best looking guy in the bar.”

Jack laughed, the sound deep and rich in the night air. “Maybe I stopped because I knew I was going home with the best looking person, huh?”

River rolled her eyes and chuckled, shifting closer so that their hips touched. “Does that usually work?”

“Oh honey, the smile usually works. The flattery is just gravy,” Jack said, flashing her the grin.

“Your wiles doesn’t work on me,” she said primly before dissolving in to laughter again. When she stopped she was breathless and motioned for the flask she knew he had in his coat. “That’s why we drink so well together.”

Jack handed the flask over and bumped his knee against hers as she recapped the flask and placed it on the ground beside them. He heard her rustling through her bag followed shortly by the familiar snick of a lighter being struck and the dull glow of the end of cigarette. After she took a deep drag, she handed it over to him.

He knew she was blowing dainty smoke rings by her breathing and by familiarity. He loved drinking with River and they always shared at least one cigarette while drunk. He handed it back to her after flicking off the ash and exhaling, watching as the smoke faded into the night as it left his mouth.

Neither Jack nor River paid any mind to the passage of time, not worrying about the silence between them as they smoked and took sips from the flask.

River turned her head and studied Jack’s profile in the starlight for a moment before he turned his head to look at her. They shared a lazy kiss, another drunk habit, before settling back to stare into the night again.

“It’s hard to be in love with him isn’t it?” River said quietly after a while.

Jack rolled to face her and quirked an eyebrow. “At least you’ve got to sleep with him.”

River laughed and playfully slapped his shoulder. “Doesn’t make it easier.”

“No, I suppose it doesn’t,” he said, bringing a hand up to lightly touch her cheek. After a moment he gave her a peck on the other cheek and whispered, “Should have married me instead.”

She laughed again and gave him a noisy peck on the lips. “More’s the pity. I guess the universe had to spread the sexiness around. Or maybe it was saving the future from our children. Imagine the broken hearts.”

Their laughter filled the night as they both imagined it.

Jack sprung up and swayed slightly before offering his hand to River. “Care for a dance?”

River allowed him to tug her up, both staggering a bit and giggling. He guided her for a few steps before they tripped over each other and collapsed into a heap, both roaring with laughter. 

After another two attempts, they stayed where they landed, falling asleep in a tangle of clothing and limbs, Jack cuddling the now empty flash like a teddy bear, River with her head pillowed on his chest, wrapped in his coat.  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
The suns rose high in the sky before either of them awoke, still lying on the ground in what River took to be a playground in the couple of seconds she could stand to have her eyes open.

She groaned and covered her eyes. “We’re getting too old for this Jack.”

“And how old is that anyway, River?”

She slitted one eye open and smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”


End file.
